Rotating fan



Oct.- 18, 1932. E. s. HEMME'RLY ROTATING FAN Filed Jur xe so, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet [Ni [117F012 ZZr Z 15: cl elrzmer% Oct. 18, 1932. E, 5 HEMMERLY 1,882,663

ROT TING FAN Filed June 50, 1930 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZNVKZVOZZ 2w mai e Oct. E s HEM Y 1,882,663

ROTATING FAN Filed June 50, 1930 3 SheetsSheet 5 WM/Maw Patented Oct- 18, 1932 UNITED. STATES PATENT F ICE EARL s. HEMMERLY, or ALLEN'IOWN, PENNSYLVANIA no'rA-rme IAN;

Application filed. June 80, 1930. Serial No. 464,776.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a rotary fan and has for its object to so construct a fan of this description and arrange the elements thereof that the main supportgof the fan will rotate upon its base or pedestal by the action of an air current emanating from the fan, upon a deflector being adjustable for determining the speed of rotation of the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the utilization of various figures or designs in embodying the invention. 1

With these and other ends in view, this invention consistsin the details of construc' tion and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designatedby the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to V which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction indetail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part which Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved fan embodied in the form of an airplane.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of Fig.1;

the rotating support and its pedestal being in section to show the construction therein. Fig. 3 is an elevation of my improved fan embodied in the form of a human figure holding an umbrella or parasol.

Fig. i is a detail view of the umbrella or parasol SllO-Wll'lIl Fig. 3, illustrating the air ,eseapement slotstherein.

Fig. 5 is a v1ew similarto 3 showing a parasol turned wrong side out and clutch the invention as embodied in Figs. 1 and 2, 10 representsthepedestal or base of the fan having the upper portion of this application p thereof reduced to form the post lland the annular shoulder 12.

13 represents the fan support; the lower portion of which is adapted to fit over the post 11 and in the hollow portion of .this support is formed an annular shoulder 14 against which the flange 15 of the insulating block 16 is seated, said block being secured against rotation or displacement by the pins 17. v 18 represents another insulating block which'is secured upon the upper end' of the" post ll and has mounted upon its upper surface a rotary contactor 19 with which the 21, said brush and spring being carried by the insulating block 16. V

22 represents a bolt secured in the insulating block 23, said block being secured within the upper portion of the pedestal by the pins 24, thislast named insulating block having a shoulder formed thereon for seating brush 20 contacts by the action of'the springupon a shoulder formed in the said upper ortion of-the pedestal. p

The bolt 22 passes through a suitable hole. in the insulating block 16 and has threaded upon its upper end,-the-nuts 25.

Mounted upon theupper surface of the insulating block 16 is a tubular bracket, 26 with which the nuts 25 contact to prevent. the accidental removal of the support 13 from the pedestal 10 and this'bracket is in contact with the rod or the nuts carried there'- by so as to permit the current flowing outward from the motor of the fan to pass from said bracket to the bolt and from thence to grounder the electric source, as will be hereinafter set forth. 1

27 represents a ball bearing interposed between the insulating blocks 16 and 18 so as to reduce to a minimum the friction incident to the revolving of the support upon its pedese tal. Mounted upon the upper end of the sup- 7 port is a suitable fan motor 28, said motor being secured to said pedestal by the straps.

29 through which pass suitable bolts or rivets 30 and upon the outer end of the shaft 31 1 of this motor, the desired fan blades 32 are mounted.

The wiref33 is connectediwith the spring 14 through the bolt 34 and leads to the motor while the wire 35 is connected with the tubular bracket 26 through the bolt 36, the last named wire leading from the motor and a wire 37 leads from the rotary contactor 19 while a wire 38 leads from the lower end of the bolt 22, these two last named wires passing through the outside of the pedestal through the insulating block 39, thus permitting the fan motor to be connected with a suitable source of electricity as is well understood.

40 represents the fuselage of a miniature airplane carrying the wlngs 41 and the steer ing rudder 42, the latter being pivoted at 43 and swin ing over a notchedsegment 44 by which this rudder may be adjusted in any position and there held against any accidental displacement, saidrudder'being utilized in my invention as a deflector to cause the fan support to revolve, which action is effected by the flow of the air fromthe fan striking upon said rudder and being deflected to one side or the other, thus causing the outer end ofthe fuselage tobe swung away from the direction from the action of the air current upon said rudder, as will. be readily understood. By the adjustability of the rud- ,derithe support and fan carried thereby may be caused to revolve in either direction at the desired speed. I

In Figs..3 and-4, I have embodied my invention in the figure of a person, such as a girl, indicated at 45 mounted upon the upper. 7 end of the support 13 and having within the body thereof the fan motor 28 connected in the samemanner as described in; connection with Fig. 2 with the source'of electricity- 46 is a hollow deflector in the form of a parasol, the staff 47 of which extends from.

the hands of the human figure.

In order that thi form of deflector may serve its purpose, the slots 48 are formed therein upon only one side thereof so that when the fan is in operation, the air current therefrom blowing into the deflector and esca ing from notches formed upon themember 51 of said 7 clutch, the last named member being rigidly secured upon said staff.

52 represents a spring mounted upon a head extension 53 of the stafi so as to hold the spring in place and cause it to force the member into engagement against the mem ber 51, thus causing the engagement of the teeth or serrations and thereby providing for the adjustment and holding of the parasol in various angular positions upon the staff as the axis. As the parasol is turned from the vertical the direction of the air pressure is changed and thus regulates the speed of rotation of the fan upon its base.

In Fig. 7, I have shown my improved fan embodied in the form of a sailboat in which the support 13' revolvably mounted upon the base 10 carries upon its upper end the hull 54 of the sailboat, the main sail 55 being stationary and set upon the longitudinal axis of thechull whi'le'theisail or jib 56 is utilized as the deflector by being either curved or set at an angle to the line of the air currents emanating from the fan and this jib may be adjustable so as to change the surface oflered to the action of the air current, thus providing means for regulating the speed and direction oi. the rotation of the hull as before described in connection with Fig. 2.

In this modification, the fan motor 28a is mounted in the stern of the hull, the wires 33 and 35 here not shown, leading from said motor to the commutatorwithin the-support 13 so that when the fan blades 32a are revolved at the proper speed, the current of air emanating therefrom will flow past the sail 55 and impinge upon the deflector sail 56 cans ing the boat to reyolve. I

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, I have embodied my improved fan in the form of a fish, the tail 57 of which is connected to the body by a stiff flexible section 58 which will permit the adjustment of the tail within cer tain limitations to any position and hold the same in such position, thus permitting the utilization of this tail as a deflector against which the air current from the fan 3% impinges to cause therotation' of the device in the desired direction and at the desired speed. In practice, a fan'built in accordance with my. improvements will swing around its sup porting base when being revolved at the proper speed for actual ventilation and without any mechanism other than a deflector located at a suflicient'distance'from the fan to cause the result, thus providing a simple fan of this description which is not only of greatutility but highly-attractive and ornamental. 7

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these, maybe varied within the limits of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. I

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claimas new and useful is 1. In a device of the'cha racter described,

a base, an insulating block secured within.

said base, a second insulating block secured upon the upper end of said base, a hollow support adaptedto revolve upon the base, an insulating block secured within said support,

a bolt secured in the first named insulating block and passing through the second and third named insulating blocks, a tubular bracket secured upon the top of the third named insulating block, nuts run upon the both-ends of said bolt to holdthe base and support together and form an electric conductor from the bracket to a return conductor, a rotary contactor securedupon the top of the first named insulating block, a spring pressed brush carried by the third named insulating block, said brush adapted to con tact with and travel upon the upper surface of the rotary contactor for permitting the passage of a current from a feed Wire 7 to the motor, a ball bearing mounted on the second and the third insulating blocks around the bolt, a frame carried by the support, an electric fan carried by said frame, a deflector hinged to the frame opposite the fan, and means for holding said deflector in various adjustments.

2. In a rotating fan, a base, a support revolvably mounted upon said base, a human figure mounted upon said support, a fan motor locatedwithin the body of the figure, a fan carried by the shaft of said motor, a deflector in the form of a parasol having slots in certain portions thereof, and means a for transmitting an electric current to the motor during the rotations of the figure caused by the action of the air emanating from the fan.

3. In a rotating fan, a base a support revolvably mounted upon said base, a human figure mounted upon said support, a 'fan motor located within the body of the figure, a fan carried by the shaft of said motor, a defiector in the form of a parasol turned wrong side out, and means for rotatably adjustably mounting said parasolupon the staff thereof.

4. In a rotating fan, a base, a support re.-

volvably mounted upon said base, a figure mounted upon said support, a fan motor located within the figure, a fan carried by the shaft of said motor, a deflector in the form of a parasol or umbrella having slots incertain portions thereof, means for connecting the top of the parasol to the stafl thereof whereby said top may be rotated to change the position of the unslotted portion of the top relative to a stream of air issuing from a fan, and means to connect the motor with a source of electrical energy.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto atfixed my signature. 1 EARL S. HEMMERLY. 

